Alcoa, union contract talks stretch into final hours

Negotiations between Alcoa and United Steelworkers continued Monday night.

The union contract was set to expire at midnight Monday. A strike is possible if a deal is not reached. As of press time Monday, no agreement was made, according to a union member.

"Both sides are holding their ground on what they want," said Mike Cabera, president of the United Steelworkers 4370 of Point Comfort, who is involved in the negotiations in Cincinnati.

Russell Pruitt, a former president of the local union who experienced the last employee strike in 1986, said, "A strike is never imminent, but there's always a possibility. Things will really not be settled until the last few minutes."

In some cases, the deadline for negotiations can be extended, but Cabera said there has been no talk of doing that.

Health care and seniority rights continue to be the main areas of disagreement.